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User blog:SpoofDarklion44/old competition
I saw one of the short story contests, the next leader of ThunderClan. I know it's too late to enter, but just for fun I wanted to write a story about it. Here goes! Graystripe's Leader Ceremony Graystripe dashed up in horror. He had been out on patrol. A small group of foxes had attacked the Clan while he was away, and they had managed to kill Firestar, Brambleclaw, and Briarlight- poor Briarlight, with no way to run away from the foxes. He lay down by Firestar's still side. He was shocked! As he rested his nose in the fur of his long-back friend, Sandstorm padded up behind him with numb grief in her eyes. "Graystripe, I'm sorry. I couldn't prevent it." She spoke with a hollow voice, as if she were reliving the death of her mate over and over again. "It wasn't your fault," Graystripe murmured. Sandstorm sighed. "It still feels like it was, but I have something more to tell you. I know- I know- that if it were just Brambleclaw who had died tonight, Firestar would have appointed you deputy. I know that's what he would want. I know he's watching us now... will you lead ThunderClan?" Graystripe rose up unsteadily, as if there was a huge weight bearing down on him- having to be without his friend and hearing Sandstorm's words. After a time that seemed like a moon but may well have been a single heartbeat, Graystripe whispered, "Yes." Graystripe reached to fetch Jayfeather out of a rabbit hole. Again. "I can take care of myself!" the cranky medicine cat snapped. Finally, the two reached the Moonpool. The setting sun cast a pale glow over the water. When the moon was directly overhead, Jayfeather meowed, "It is time." Graystripe reached forward and lapped a few icy drops. A black, crushing weight landed on him, as though he were dying. He tried to cry out, but he was breathless, speachless, unable to do anything. After a long, long time Graystripe felt the weight lifted, and ranks of starry cats surrounded him. He knew that he had to ask one question. "Was- was Sandstorm right to choose me?" A silvery she-cat stepped forward. "My beloved, don't you know? Feel in your heart. She knew it was the right choice. Do you believe this?" Graystripe gasped. "Silverstream!" "Yes, it is I," his former mate purred. "With this life I give you knowledge for what is right. When we met each other, it was breaking the code, but I knew it was right. I knew it was right." She gently touched her nose to his. Suddenly, the gray warrior felt as though he was being shattered, torn apart. He opened his mouth in a soundless screech. A new cat came up as the horror ebbed away. Graystripe didn't know how he could bear this. But he looked up and recognized the gray pelt of Bluestar. "With this life I give you courage. When I died, I was protecting my Clan with everything I had. I knew I had to save Fireheart." Bluestar reached out like Silverstream. Graystripe braced himself for the shock. He felt rage- with courage as much as anger. He would do all he could to protect the weaker, defend his Clan, and knew he would give up all his lives- every single one of the nine he was recieving- to save them. A black tom approached him now. The gray cat did not recognize him at first, but realized soon it was Ravenpaw. "Ravenpaw! Please- you aren't dead! You can't be!" Graystripe cried. "I am not," the loner purred. "I am alive and well. Bluestar visited me and told me what was happening, and gave me the right to grant you your third life." Graystripe was relieved. "With this life I give you the ability to make a decision. I couldn't stay with the Clan for anything. Use this wisely. You will need to make heavy choices- make sure you don't regret them." Graystripe was stabbed in the side with fear. He would be faced with difficult decisions. He couldn't shake off the fear that he wouldn't do the right thing, but remembering Silverstream's gift of knowledge, it was made less a weight to bear. Another silver cat came up. It was Feathertail, who had died in the mountains a while ago. "My father, my father," she whispered. "I am proud. With this life I give you love. If I had lived, I could still be with Crowfeather, but my love for him made me protect him with my life." A soothing river snagged Graystripe and carried him carefully. He knew Feathertail meant Millie, his current mate, and their two remaining kits. A brown she-cat dragged herself forward, and Graystripe recognized Briarlight instantly. "I wish I had not died," Briarlight said sadly. "But I know I died protecting the kits. With this life I give you endurance. When my legs were crippled, I wished I had died, but Jayfeather worked with me and made me useful. I had to endure the pain of the excersizes and overcome the pain." The gray tom wanted to yowl over and over again as a huge thing deadened his hind legs. He knew this was how Briarlight had felt when her spine was snapped. After Briarlight granted his fifth life, the rushes of shock were not so bad. A brown tabby came next. Graystripe tensed at the seeming appearance of Tigerstar, but as he viewed the kindness in those amber eyes, he saw Brambleclaw instead of his murerous father. "With this life I give you loyalty. My Clan- my leader even- doubted me, but I remained loyal and proved myself." There was nothing more for him to say. Graystripe was running, fighting, hunting, patrolling, all at the same time. He would do anything for his Clan and the members within it. Stonefur was next. He had been Stormfur's mentor, killed by Blackfoot in Tigerstar's alliance with RiverClan against half-Clan cats. "With this life I give you tireless energy to protect yourself and your beliefs. I fought as hard as I could. They killed me, but I tried as hard as I could." Suddenly Graystripe was running through the forest. Quickly, effortlessly, and happily. There was nothing painful here. A specked gray tom, Ashfur, came nearly before Stonefur had sat back down. "With this life I ''take ''from you the desire for revenge. I thought I needed revenge on Squirrelflight. I was wrong." Graystripe felt weightless as revenge was lifted from his shoulders. There was no need for revenge- not for anything. For a moment, no cat moved. The starry ranks were silent, still, staring. At last Firestar approached. "Graystripe, my friend, my once-deputy who came back to us. You know, you trust, that Sandstorm was right, am I correct? Of course I would have chosen you. With this life I give you the skills you need for leading your Clan through many moons to come." The star-cats all stood up at once. "Graystar!" a voice from the back called out. Others echoed him, "Graystar! Graystar!" Soon everyone was chanting Graystar, and his new name rang in his ears. Graystar woke quickly. Jayfeather was still beside him. "Did you dream? Did you get your lives and star name?" Graystar nodded, and he and Jayfeather began the return trip to ThunderClan. Graystar's Clan. Category:Blog posts